Control for curtain and awning rollers



1927" H. SMITH CONTROL FOR CUR TAIN'AND AWNING ROLLERS Filed March 5, .1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l sheets-shat 2 May 31,1927. I H SMITH I com'aoL ,FOR CURTAIN AND AW INGIROLLERS Filed Maich 5,1924

view, and" 1 i F ig. 8 is a view similar-to Fine 3 showing: "the locking nechanism ,apfpliedto the leftxh'and end I ofa roller. 1 j I i In: the drawings the] same reference 1 11- Patented May 3 1, 1927.

@ con rnonno'n'CURTAIN;AND AWNiNG BOn-LERS.; i

Application filel i March 3.j1924., sria1 ii6. era steel;

My invention relates to control mechanism tion and partly in section showingithe awning'oloth rolling underneath the roller for purposes ofillustratlon;

' 3fis-a detaillongitudinal Eseotional.

view on theline 3+3in Fig. 4,1 showing the locking mechanism applied to theright-ha'nd" Q end of the roller, the "cloth being omitted;

Fig.4 is anend view'v'shoj wing the angular end'of theroller-gud'geon seatedin .a suitable retaining bracket; I a

Fig. 51s a cross sectionaluviewon l ne 55 in Fig.- '3; l

Fig. G'is av similar viewion linen-45in Dia s-v. vq .7 1s a longitudinal; sectional detail merals throughout thedifferent views represent the same,orcorresponding parts, the. number 1 designating a roller on which the;

cloth 2 of the curtain awning ;is Wound in juxtapositionto the structure 3 to Whicl'r it is applied, ,lVhen a lOllQP-zlWn-Ulg ist used .it consists of v ajsuitable length' of ar-. ;m\*as or other cloth Whichisfastened at its-inner end upon the roller which revolves .in suitable "bearings or'brac'ketslt' having: fastened to the uprights orv posts at the sides 01" tl1evvindoiv6;'the outer end oit' the cloth is supported by an angular .,frame comprising a front pole or; rod; 7 se k cnr'edto it and a pair ofaiside arms S piv- .oted en the uprights as at ;9.1 ,vThe rol ler' is I operatedhy suitable means'towindand fun their bases 0 wind the, cloth, such for e ample f as a sprocket-Wheel lOsecured on .oneof itslendsf and, driven by a chain-llgtrorn a suitable hand-Winch 12 mountedon the stru'cture' in convenient reach'of the operator-E and hav in g aipawlor dog (notshown) to prevent reverse motion; In this type of installation center supports or hearingsare -freque1 1tly e iInploye'd to prevent rolleriromisagging, these centergsupports generally comprising a lower 'braeket13having ball-bearings 14 i for the roller ancl'san upp erretainer:or cepp1ecel5to holdtheroller'in place, the cloth normally extending at a-It'angentifromgthe upper-portion cr me ro l l er lallias*sliovvn ior example 1 11 1g. '1; VV'hen a vertically moving curta1n is used, as foi'jjexample in the proscenium arch 10f a theater it is secured at its upper. end to 'the roller,Whichf may be hand-operated or power operated, I

and may havevsimilarpenter supports; lVhen a'curtain is used as aniordinarjy' house you store Window shadeit is carried; onthe go f usual; roller which is' .operated 'jto roll and I unr0llj1tinthe usual manner, preferably be the extent to which the cloth is 'unwoundlor to I merchandise. but

beenzfoundfin praotice that the pins :fastenturned itsfwvin ding -updirection I the WQl l-kIIOWH pawl-controlled sp ing f I ,LAH of these typesor classes offawnin'gs' yer heavy curtains as "at present equipped to mechanically-and automatically"regulatei K go lowered to the desired depth. The common rollenavvningsare desirable foijstore-fronts and othenlocatioiisnot: only for "protection; p "oinfthe 'oomt'ort they afford from. the su fis rays. However; has

ingthe operatingwheely.7:to the roller fre i quently break or shear ofl sotliat the sup-' vportingifrgame of the awning-swings down and caiilses damage to the awn ngand prop erty and in ury to persons, and this liability;

also arisesfrom accidenttoany'partof the. operating devices; such asthepawl. or 'dog eloth is-Wound more or lesson the roller, and

by whichythe winchQ is usuallyheld against I "the-stress vand weight ofthe o'anvas andqits frame, and bythe failure of the operator 3 a to secure the operating parts in propel-g en 1 tion and position.r Furthermoreptheordi- 5 nary. life of the canvas ofi suchkaivnings now constiiuctedgis-approximately only two; years, the'causeof thisrapid deterioration i being due :lai'gely'itothe fact that when in 7 use the canvas is often-"allowed to reverse itself on the roller :sothat its'lo versui'face" comes contact with the: center-support in an I unnatural position, and itsiw'veai'r is has- I tened and the appearance of thisLsurfaC e is' rapidly destroyed, For example, the length ofr' theCloth is; such that -vvhen the sup-portingfra-mefishorizontal the upper end of the its" the cloth off of and onto the upper portion of the rollerin a tangential path that practically clears the outer end of the 1 center support so that there is little friction and Wear on thelower su'r faceioif the canvas and of the center support -an dto contactwith'it underneath the heavy rollerf'so that it is more only the upper surface of the canvas cont acts with the lowerportiOn oii the center support,v but in lowering the awning the foperatorfrequently allows the "cloth to unind too far anchthe horizontal *lirame to; drop "below its inormalhorizontail '-p'osition, :softh at when the awni-ngisfagain raised the .clotlrWi'll "Wind underneath 'the roller as 1 shown in 2. The "reversal j of the cloth on "thei-oller causes its'lower'suriac'e to drap;

heavily on the outer end of the bracket 13 I rapidlyiworn and itsfap'pearance is: quickly *destroyed This *is in'dicatedby'tlie shaded portion of the canvas in-Fig. "1.

Iii-the ase of curtains (which term "includes WindoW shades') the cloth frequently unrolledor drawn down so far tliatit istorn froni its fasteningsto the roller. further o'bjection to roller "awnings andcurtains as 'noiv constructed is that it'isfditficult to secure their uniform: alin'ementwhen lowered Where av plurality of them are set in seriesalongside of each other they hang at various elevations and inclinations; and so matically preyented from movingbelow this level; in theevent of accidentto anyfof the operat ngparts the awning will *unroll to has stopped at tl'iat pointiso that the supporting frame cannot siting down, thereby preventpr'ies'entan uneven. and objectionable {appear- :ance. i

l k The/obj ects of n1y"invention are to'r'einedy 1 these defectsiand obviate these objections.

my: invention; the f'extent to which the", "roller will be rotated to unwind thepc loth is controlled, "and a Fsa fetyi device is provided \t'hich automatically *limi ts the extent: to .wliiol the curtainfor awnm can 'be lo'Wered.

"In a 'rollerrawn'in -e' ui )ed with my 'invention the supporting frame can be lowered "only to'tlie desired depth, and it is autothe extent to which "the controlling device been' set, hand Will be automatically ing possible personal injury and 1 property damage Also,*niy.invention makes it im-- possible for the Op ratorto "Wind the cloth on; the roller in reversedirection iyhereby 5 the Wear ont he in'si 'de surface of thefcloth is ,obviatel lanchthe life of'the awning is. prolonged, "and itperrnits the 'adjustnientbf one or 'a' ser'ies offawnings" t-o be "setlat anyangle and retain "that position whereby their allnein e'nt 1s automatic 7 and constant. Further,., mydnyentio'n protects: curtains from being I drawn dwn such "extent as totear them loose fromtheirroller fastenings, and

securesjuniformity 'an'df ei enn'ess of appear ances. It also afi'ords anew adpistment for downwardlniovement in an these -il istances Without'disassembling any of its parts or at all dismantling the curtain oruawning, and

by an e'a'sy' iiiafiua'l operation While all ele "ments areintheir operating'relatlon', and the t can be applied to same assembly or un e ther end oft-he roller. r V These various advantages and novel reabu'tments, :a gudgeon journaled in the Z cas- "tachably engage retaining f'bracket, in non-rotating "16'l&tl 011 '2l11 (l' co-operatmg 3 deshown the casing comprises a pair o-fcom-v sults are obtained byiia control-mechanism which comprisesa chambered casing adapted- "to"befast'ened in a suitable seat in one end of the roller and havingheads i forming end' ingand constructed at its outer end toldeyi'c'esbetween thegudgeonandcasing wheres I i b y the 'revolutionof'the latter-on"theitorlner #t'o unwind the cloth 'Will be automatically arrested or stopped atrthe desiredposition.v 'In "the eXemplifica-tion; of :the invention here plementary semi-cylindrical sections I6 and 170f suitable m'etal and each provided With an interior longitudinal trough or'recess terminating n shouldered :ends 18 :and 19.,

'respectively'; the faces of the edges and ends are flush with each other on each's'ect'ion, and

the abutting faces make close fit when the -sect1ons' are assembled together to form an- 7 V inner longitudinal chamber having closed 'heads. The head'at the' inner end of the chambert'formed'by the end-shoulders'19'u *is provided'with a reduced circular bearing, s 20 in the axial line of the chamber, and preferably-also with a socket 21 ofless diq v ame'ter-"thanthe chamber; the'head at the v outer end of the chamber formed .bythend s'hOii'Iders 1 8-is provided with a circular bearing 22 in'the' axial line ofthe chamber; The/sect ons l9"ofthe innerhead are also provided With a cross-bore 'to receive a fastening -pin '23." A imetallicg'u'dgeon 24 is 10- cated in the chamber, its diaineter being somewhat less than that of thechamb er, and I its ends being reduced to formjournals :25

to rotatably fit into'the socket 21 and hold the 'gu'dgeon against endwiise displacement;

to -lfit ithe endibearings '20 and'2 2ythe endf of its inner journal is formed Witha circular "head 26 of "less diainetenthantheigu'dgeon' 'yond-the head 1 8'andisangular or squared V as avert-o lit the seat in th e bra ket a;

Thefbody of the 'gudg'eon in "thegchainberf is screw t'hreadedt' and anut "28 1mg threaded nut, in the f orin shown these. PZLIZt S being hexagonal. In assembling-the parts the nut is passed over thereduce'd head in Fig. 3, thefother casing-section'is placed in position on thefirst section, the'ca'sing'is 5' inserted in its seat 'in the roller,'-andthe p n 23 is passed through the roller and *mner fhead sections 19 of theicasing to hold-the parts in assembled position an in place in the roller;

When the roller and as clear-"farming the j curtain, shade or awningxaretdbe, placed i in position,the" COIltIOlyllDll) 1s Inountedj1n the appropriate end of the rollera'nd sewound up j to, its limit on the"ro'llerwhich is then mounted in its 'supporting'ibrackets, thesquaredfend of'the gudgeon belngseated inka correspondingly shaped bracket 5" as sh own in Fig. The position of the nut ionjthe screw of the fgudgeo'n at thistimeis not limportanti Assuming that the roller is fnow tu rnedias shown" 'to'funwind its' cloth a until its free edge reaches'the desired ele jv'ationiithe revolution of the casing on the ""fgudgeon turns the nut on'its screw to cause it to travel toward the right'when thefc'asing'is in the right-hand en'dol thejro'ller as l 3 and to'travel towardthe left; when I ,thef'casing is'in'the left-hand end of the of its bracket; the rolleii and cloth "arei'held in stationary relation andfthe'gudgeon is? revolved in the casing in" the. opposite di-'" lrection to the"rotation'fof thefroller in un-' :3) and with the 1iead119jin"fl1e latter-Tease I (Fig. 7 l This has i the lo'ller 'jan d gudgeon together "soythat the torm r cannot} turn further'on the latter in the {(lircction" to unwind or "lOWiP/I' the cloth; and the "parts end of the trunnion is reseated in its brackrollerf' as in Figi 8 When awning or shade is lowered :to the desired ext nt the squared end 27 of "thegudgeon is'lifted out with the head l8"in the former case1(F ig."

are retained in this relationand the squared et; the roller is now lockedat the limit of its cloth unwinding or lowering rotation, though it is free to turn in the opposite di rection to rewind the cloth upon it to raise the awning, shade or curtain. If in asseina" bling the parts the nutis so located on the screw 'thatit abuts against the corresponding head before, the clothis unwound to its desired position the gudgeon is raised from its seat as before andturned in thecasing to cause the nut to run or travel away from this head," and then "the trunnion is again 7 seated in itsbracket and cloth is unwound,

to the desired extent, this operation ofretreating the nutfawayfrom the head being repeated'ifnecessary, and when theclothis "if an 129 'is -providedgjon head and nut.

unwound tothe desifed extent theigudgeon The end' -shoulders 518 and" 19- forming the is raised from its bracketEand turned to set the :nut against, thefhea'das abov e described;

weight" of air fawning and its heavy frame -liable' to bender shear when th'e casing-is locked against further unwindi n; movement *l'Whenj the awning is lowered the roller i, no. the nut 28 travels along thethrea'd of thei J guc'lgeon until" the 5 awningreaches its derevolves on the stationary" gudgeon 24am! sired extendedjpo'sitionwhen the nut abuts against-either the head lS or: the head :19 according to "whether the casing is inthe right hand end or' the left hand end liof th'e roller as explained; above, and whenthe nut eaches eitherfof these positions it locket-he casing and gudgeon together; and; asf the; casing is heldapjainst rotation jinthe.roller bythepin23 and'fthe g'udgeon isheld agf'ainst 'f rotation by itsangular end 27 seated'in the bracket 4; the. roller. is then held'fagai-nst further rotation and the awning-cloth is V H I 4 v e be e I held '111"its"8X6'11ClCl""pO$1ti0I1 and sustains "windmg, thelclotlttrhtil the-"nut contacts" norz'nal horizontal posit-ion as shown'i nFig; 1. Consequently -the;'fra1nefland cloth' cannot swing down be-f' "yond' jtheirfsnorinal intendedposition, even' l yet the operating devices break or are i:

wp y handled; I I; 1 p ctice Irprefer to -01" of aheavy curtainin case of accident or- V *theneglect 'of'an operatorf iAlso, the .head" I e p "formed by the end shoulders 19 sulos'tjanti'ally. cured by the cross p inj23 andtheCl th is" v .6, .So that the'cross-pin 23is-einbeddd for v substantially its entire length' 'and is not feel inake the abutting faces of the heads and nut so thatfthe-area; of their contact will be minimized,and-also so that'the' thread of the screw will not be "]ELlT IH1GCl 'betweenthen This is ac connpllshed by forming the nut withits threaded 1 'c-entralp'ortion of slightlyless length than itsouter surface, so'that an annularshoulder i i upon the hea'dso tight as to require considerable force to; separate them on reversing and-I prevent this distortionfof the thread otherwise caused by jamming it between the each end, and by-forining the' '-heads' with corresponding annular- :1 shoulders" 30toregister with the shoulders 2911s shOwnin FigAZ By this-construction 1- I obviate the liability of. the nut to bindw the rotation of the casing 01'' of the ud a The Control is; aclju stable;Joy assembling the rout on, the -I sci ew at ;;d-iffenentf positions iaway irom the eo4opera 1mg; abutment, and

I it is Tevef'sib'le its-shown fii thel' :end of the roller. I

*EigsyB-and 8fto v practice the thread or screw ,lo'f the gudgeon is: preter- I 1 ahly about twice the length neoessaiqy to allow the curtain or iawnlng usu-al or normal lpositlon jto un -011 to its ean'floe assembled on it at such-distance :the oo-o'per-ating head Ior-i a-hutinentfthat the to--the usual horiaWm-ng-Vfraine. olthe the same 'glhf' desired, A's

position will he endis entirely unwound from the rollerthefreVersa-bof 'the cloth on the roller is ;p"1 evented.

. 1. In adevice'oftheflclass desorihed a {section a1 -casing h-aving a. longitudinal oha'mher and. forming end 'abut nents,

and opposite; heads integral with the oasin p; ;-t "ead;e

- gud geon :j ournaled in the -heads and :lmving beyond one {of an angular. end projecting t re the heads, a nut on the thread against eithen head, iand woo-operating];Ide-.

vices between the nut and casing constnucted to rotate theser -parts F111 unison o'njthe 'g ud- ,ge'on to move the nut a'IOng the gudgeon to abut against; one of "the ,gudgeon and casing together.v

In a device. of the {class describedaoasehambe a Igudgeon heads to lock the 'ing compos'ed ;of seotiom-s each having- 211 longitudinal recess and integral end gsihoulders constructed to formjopposite end-Iabut 'ments and ari -intermediate angular charm her, agudgeon journaled-in th'e abutinents and having a screw-thread in the chamber vand provided "with-an angularjprojecting end,- anda nuton the thread the gudgeon to position against move along dock-the casing and one ofthe ahutments to gudjgeon together,

so that 'gthe nut from the roller, andfa nut on the thi'eadfgslidably slidahly f fitting. in the chamber tomi'evolve therewith and;

ieu-rtain or awningnrolier having a seat; ',at

I nd having a l ongitudinalo ular cross-section provided ing journal bearings, a Qinsaid I bearings and having "a; lscnew-th ead Lin-the ehamben andprovide d. with .a squared projecting end, a pin inthe roller throughone'.of,the iheaodsjto hold v ing sections togethei' andaga'inst rot n in -fitting in tl'lefehamberflto rotate in unison with the casing and move aiongthe, $gudgeon I and ahi'it against one-0t the heads,

4. In audevicez of the class,

curtain or a-wningfrollef ha ving a fse'a't at;

o en e ea in o longitud nal chamher pioyldedwlth heads a sin one I end and :a sectional easing fin Said "seat I h'sinih'e of in-ieg-;

1. udgeon gjournal'ed described, a1

in said seat and having, a o.

fh'aving, ignnerxannular f'sh'oujl der's; a "gudg'eon v j ournaledin.saidheads and having a screw v I t A :I 'I I r the ehanuher andiprovlded with athread,

squared joroj eating .end, v a hiacket foo eatin with the squared endoi -i-the gu e n' J 'to- .hroidythe latter; against notation; a I nut On i. sineansbetweenthetasing and nut to revolve these parts 5 In a frollerhaving a seat at. one end; a sectional n ounison to -move: the nutfabhg, the gudgeon {to abut againstjonei' of then I V f heads;

go-asingin saidseat hayingend emu en'tiand a (an mteirmedlatelongitud nal ch figlllbel bl'le 'o-f the abutin'ents havinga: sooketfl'a-nd; are Hduced shearing intermediate the socket; and

journalfed in the eb tnientsfland having, a head in the s'ocket aind screw-thread in the ehainber j and rovid d; ith a .protj eoting ang ulanend, a nut on the lthfead, meansf to muite the "nut Withthe --casing to lino've" the .nut' ;-alongthe thread the I abutments,to hoid I ,casing together to rotate with the roller."

1 HENRY" I 

